ESCAPE Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'escape' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of escape are avoid , elude , eschew , evade , and shun . While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent. // nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Q: When could 'avoid' be used to replace 'escape'?

The words avoid and escape can be used in similar contexts, but avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty. // try to avoid past errors

Q: When is it sensible to use 'elude' instead of 'escape'?

The words elude and escape are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes. // what she sees in him eludes me

Q: When is 'eschew' a more appropriate choice than 'escape'?

While in some cases nearly identical to escape , eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful. // a playwright who eschews melodrama

Q: When can 'evade' be used instead of 'escape'?

In some situations, the words evade and escape are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding. // evaded the question by changing the subject

Q: When would 'shun' be a good substitute for 'escape'?

The meanings of shun and escape largely overlap; however, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence. // you have shunned your responsibilities

escape 1 of 2

verb

i-ˈskāp

Definition of escape

as in to flee

to get free from a dangerous or confining situation everyone managed to escape from the burning building in time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to evade

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery a judge who is very determined not to let criminals escape punishment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

escape

2 of 2

noun

as in flight

the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a daring prison escape

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in evasion

the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable the reading of science fiction novels as an escape from boring reality

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb escape contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of escape are avoid, elude, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

When could avoid be used to replace escape?

The words avoid and escape can be used in similar contexts, but avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When is it sensible to use elude instead of escape?

The words elude and escape are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is eschew a more appropriate choice than escape?

While in some cases nearly identical to escape, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can evade be used instead of escape?

In some situations, the words evade and escape are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When would shun be a good substitute for escape?

The meanings of shun and escape largely overlap; however, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of escape

Verb

Elder nearly escaped the first inning after allowing just one run. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 In July, OpenAI disclosed that an autonomous AI agent escaped the boundaries of a cybersecurity evaluation and ultimately gained unauthorized access to Hugging Face's production infrastructure. — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Noun

Kennebunkport, Maine Coastal scenery, New England charm, and lobster-fishing history make Kennebunkport a quintessential Maine escape. — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026 These lavish retreats provided an escape from the city and the summer heat, a place for diversions like hunting and horseback riding, and enough land to build grand showpiece palaces and gardens. — Rick Steves, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for escape

Recent Examples of Synonyms for escape

Verb

The driver, who is accused of fleeing the scene, is now facing charges.

— Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the government’s fall in December 2024 and received political asylum.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of flee

Verb

Communication can be real-time or asynchronous, often using stealthy methods like invisible text or metadata to evade human detection.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Neo joins a rebellion led by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) while evading Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).

— David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of evade

Noun

The sightlines are good and the atmosphere lively, confirming the potential of Plymouth, the biggest city in the country never to have hosted a top-flight football club.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
In one case, a man is accused of intercepting flight communications near an airbase where US fighter jets are based, while in the other, information about military drills between US and South Korean forces was allegedly obtained.

— Yoonjung Seo, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of flight

Noun

The View From Nigeria On July 31, Nigeria ordered all digital asset traders and exchanges to register for a tax identification number or face fines and a possible prison term, cracking down on tax evasion in its growing cryptocurrency market.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
In June, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued guidance to help banks spot patterns tied to unlawful employment, labor brokers, shell companies, payroll tax evasion and identity theft.

— Richard Escobedo, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of evasion

Verb

When Aemond refuses to fight, Aegon conscripts him to fly to Tumbleton to deal with their uppity little brother.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Some more images show Kidman, Bullock, 62, King, 26, and Williams, 29, wearing flowing gowns while hooked onto wires, seemingly filming a scene that involves flying, in front of a blue screen.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of fly

Noun

The article urges leaders to address issues directly, provide clear feedback, and prioritize ethical conduct over easy avoidance, emphasizing that true leadership means doing what's right, not what's convenient.

— Jason Walker PsyD, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
The front of the robot houses an AI Vision camera; ultrasonic and IR sensors that aid navigation, obstacle avoidance, and mapping; and a pair of LED lights for nighttime cleaning.

— John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of avoidance

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escapades

escape

escaped

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“Escape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escape. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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verb

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Synonyms of escape

verb

noun

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Phrases Containing escape

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More from Merriam-Webster on escape

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Popular in Wordplay

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Games & Quizzes